The Rielly Method

I took a quick break from huge imploding, multi-deadlines to venture over the Burlington, NJ Monday to take in a lecture by Neilson Carlin on the Reilly Method at the The Herman T. Costello Lyceum Hall Center for The Arts.
The Herman T. Costello Lyceum Hall Center for The Arts.

Frank Reilly was a noted teacher and illustrator who taught at the Art Students League and the lecture by Carlin was on Reilly's now famous 6 step figure drawing process, which broke down into very simple but accurate steps a process in constructing the figure, from life or imagination.

Here is another link to a book on the Frank Reilly method from a former student. I have the book and its pretty decent, it not only demonstrates the figure drawing method but also the Reilly teachings on painting, palettes, etc.

Neilson learned the Reilly system under figure painter Michael Aviano who studied with Reilly at the Art Students League, and the lecture was really very good and entertaining. The event run by Shawn who also runs other classes at the Herman T. Costello Lyceum Hall Center for The Arts was a lot of fun and well attended. You can get more info at The Herman T. Costello Lyceum Hall Center for The Arts
432 High St.
Burlington, NJ 08016
609.239.0029 or email them at: education@burlingtonLyceum.com


These are some of Carlin's drawings he brought along. The funny thing for me was I recognized two of the models right off as they were regular models for me when I taught at DCAD. After a while you become so familiar and intimate with certain models figures that you can really tell them just from elbows an half torsos!



Neilson also run his own school as well as working full time a a painter. The event was a lot of fun and my buddy and studio mate Dave met me there. I plan on attending more of their figure drawing sessions as time allows. The figure at the top is one of the two quick drawings I did starting with the Reilly system. It's in colored pencil ( because I forgot my charcoal pencils) on newsprint and took about 15 minutes or so.